GAZA: For the fourteenth day in a row, Israeli planes raided Hamas in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Thursday night in response to the rocket fire, as mediators worked to negotiate an end to the latest outbreak of tensions.
Rockets were fired at Israel but crashed inside the Palestinian enclave, according to witnesses and Gaza security sources.
Palestinian sources reported slight damage but no casualties after the attack in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
The latest exchanges followed the Israeli army's anti-tank fire in the morning against Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the airstrikes on Twitter.
"Our Air Force just attacked a Hamas military complex used for the manufacture of rocket munitions in Gaza in response," the IDF wrote.
"We hold Hamas responsible for all terrorist activities emanating from Gaza," he added.
Israel has bombed Gaza almost every night since Aug. 6 in retaliation for balloons, or, less often, rocket fire, from across the border.
It has also tightened its 13-year blockade of Gaza's two million inhabitants.
It has prohibited Gaza's fishermen from going to sea and has closed the crossing of goods with the territory, causing the closure of Gaza's only power plant due to lack of fuel.
"Explosive and incendiary balloons were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel," a military statement said early Thursday morning.
"In response ... tanks attacked military posts belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip."
Gaza security officials said the fire hit Hamas observation posts near the Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij refugee camps and the city of Khan Yunis, causing no casualties.
Since the exchanges broke out two weeks ago, Israeli retaliation had mainly involved warplanes, and Gaza security sources said the switch to tanks could be an attempt to reduce escalation.
List of demands
The retaliation came after an Egyptian delegation moved between the two sides, trying to negotiate a return to an informal truce.
Egypt, one of only two Arab countries to have signed a peace treaty with Israel, has acted to quell repeated outbreaks in recent years to prevent a repeat of the three wars they have fought since 2008.
The latest ceasefire, which has already been renewed several times, is bolstered by millions of dollars in financial aid from Qatar to Gaza.
But Hamas's complaints that Israel has failed to honor its end of the bargain have been accompanied by sporadic outbursts at the border.
The truce provided for permits for Gazans to work in Israel and funding for Gaza development projects, both measures that would provide some economic relief in an impoverished territory where unemployment exceeds 50%.
Sources told AFP that the twin problems were at the root of the latest outbreak.
A source close to Hamas said the Israeli government told the Egyptian delegation that it expected a "return to calm" before considering the implementation of truce provisions such as "the extension of the eastern Gaza industrial zone" and construction. of a new power line to the territory.
Hamas has called for the number of work permits issued to Gazans to double to 10,000 once restrictions against the coronavirus are lifted, the source said.
The truce also stipulated a monthly aid payment from Qatar of $ 30 million until the end of next month, but the source said the Gulf of Gaza benefactor had "agreed to increase the financial subsidy by $ 10 million per month" and extend its term.
The chairman of the Qatari Committee for the reconstruction of Gaza, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Emadi, spoke on Wednesday of "intense efforts to contain the escalation" between Israel and Hamas.
On Thursday morning, Qatar did not comment on its aid to Gaza.
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